JFK vs LaGuardia vs Newark: Which NYC Airport Should You Fly Into?

Updated October 2026. Drive times, train links and our prices checked this month.

New York has three big airports, and the right one depends less on your airline than on where you sleep that night. LaGuardia sits closest to Midtown. JFK has the most international flights. Newark is the easy pick for New Jersey and the West Side of Manhattan. This guide compares JFK vs LaGuardia vs Newark on distance, drive time, trains and cost. Then it shows the closest airport from each part of the city and the suburbs we serve.

Want every airport in the state, from Westchester to Long Island? Our full list of airports in New York covers them all.

JFK vs LaGuardia vs Newark at a Glance

	JFK	LaGuardia (LGA)	Newark (EWR)
Where it is	Southeast Queens	Northern Queens	Newark, New Jersey
Miles to Midtown	About 15	About 8	About 16
Drive to Midtown, off-peak	35 to 60 min	25 to 45 min	35 to 55 min
Main airlines	Delta, JetBlue, American and most foreign airlines	Delta and American	United
Flights	The most international routes	Domestic, plus a few to Canada	Domestic and international
Train to Manhattan	AirTrain to the subway and LIRR	None. Free Q70 bus to the subway	AirTrain to NJ Transit and Amtrak
Gotham Ride sedan from Manhattan	From $222	From $209	From $222

Rush hour can double those drive times. On weekdays, plan for the slow column from about 7 to 10am and 3 to 7pm.

JFK vs LaGuardia

JFK vs LaGuardia is the choice most New York travelers face. Both airports sit in Queens, and both fly to most big U.S. cities.

• Distance: LaGuardia is about 8 miles from Midtown and JFK about 15. On a quiet morning that gap costs you 10 to 15 minutes. At rush hour the Van Wyck Expressway can stretch it much further.
• Flights: A long-standing Port Authority rule keeps most LaGuardia flights under 1,500 miles, with a few exceptions such as Denver. For Europe, Asia or South America, JFK is the one of the two with nonstop flights.
• Terminals: LaGuardia rebuilt Terminals B and C, and they are bright, compact and easy to walk. JFK is in the middle of a big rebuild, so check your terminal before you leave. At Terminals 5 and 7, car pickups moved to the Howard Beach AirTrain lot. Your chauffeur meets you inside arrivals and walks you out to the car.
• Trains: JFK has the AirTrain to the subway and the Long Island Rail Road. LaGuardia has no train. The free Q70 bus runs to the subway at Jackson Heights and the LIRR at Woodside.

Verdict: for a domestic flight into Manhattan, LaGuardia wins most of the time. For an international flight, or a trip out to Long Island, JFK makes more sense. Headed to a Midtown hotel? Our guide to getting from LaGuardia to Times Square walks through that drive. Flying into JFK for the first time? Read 10 things to know before flying into JFK.

LaGuardia vs Newark

LaGuardia vs Newark comes down to which side of the Hudson you are on.

• East or west: from the East Side of Manhattan, Queens, Westchester or Connecticut, LaGuardia is closer. From New Jersey or Staten Island, Newark is closer. The Holland and Lincoln Tunnels also make Newark a quick run from Lower Manhattan and the West Side.
• Trains: Newark has a real rail link. The AirTrain takes you to the airport station, and NJ Transit reaches Penn Station in about 30 minutes. LaGuardia has only buses.
• Flights: Newark is United’s hub, with nonstops to Europe, Asia and Latin America. Most LaGuardia flights stay within the U.S.

Verdict: pick LaGuardia for the East Side and everything north and east of the city. Pick Newark for New Jersey and the West Side, or when United has the better flight. Book the ride with our LaGuardia airport car service or our car service to Newark Airport.

JFK vs Newark

JFK and Newark are both big international airports, so this one comes down to your airline and your address.

• Airlines: JFK is home to Delta, JetBlue and most foreign airlines. Newark is United’s hub, so United flyers often find more nonstop choices there.
• Distance: almost a tie, about 15 miles from Midtown for JFK and 16 for Newark.
• Location: JFK is closer for Queens and Long Island. Newark is closer for New Jersey and Staten Island.
• Trains: both have an AirTrain. Newark’s connects to NJ Transit and Amtrak trains into Penn Station. JFK’s connects to the subway and the LIRR.

Flying into one and out of the other? Newark to JFK is the longest airport transfer in the area, so see our guide to getting from Newark to JFK before you book the connection. For a ride from JFK into the city, our JFK airport car service meets you at any terminal.

Which Airport Is Closest to Where You Are Going?

Distance on a map can fool you. A bridge, a tunnel or the Belt Parkway can change the order. The table shows the closest major airport from each area we serve, with drive times from our own route guides.

Where you are going	Closest airport	Drive time
Midtown Manhattan	LaGuardia	25 to 45 min off-peak
Williamsburg and Greenpoint	LaGuardia	15 to 25 min off-peak
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn	Newark	25 to 35 min off-peak
Jersey City	Newark	15 to 25 min off-peak
Princeton	Newark	45 to 55 min off-peak
White Plains	LaGuardia	40 to 70 min
Harrison	LaGuardia	45 to 60 min
Greenwich, CT	LaGuardia	About 32 min
The Hamptons	JFK or LaGuardia	Both sit on the Long Island side

Manhattan

LaGuardia is the closest airport to Midtown and the Upper East and West Sides. From Lower Manhattan and the far West Side, Newark through the Holland or Lincoln Tunnel is often just as quick. JFK is the longest drive from most of Manhattan, and our guide to the JFK to Manhattan limo service explains how to plan it. Staying downtown? Our local’s guide to Lower Manhattan can fill your first free afternoon.

Brooklyn

In Brooklyn, the closest airport changes with the neighborhood. From Williamsburg and Greenpoint, LaGuardia is often 15 to 25 minutes away outside rush hour. From Bay Ridge, Newark takes 25 to 35 minutes over the Verrazzano and the Goethals Bridge, and JFK takes 30 to 40 along the Belt Parkway. From Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO, Newark (30 to 45 minutes) often beats JFK (40 to 60). Our Brooklyn car service page lists drive times for each neighborhood, at rush hour and off-peak.

Queens and Long Island

JFK and LaGuardia are both in Queens, so Newark only makes sense when it has the better flight. For Long Island, either Queens airport keeps you clear of Manhattan traffic.

New Jersey

Newark is the closest airport for most of New Jersey: 15 to 25 minutes off-peak from Jersey City and 45 to 55 from Princeton. When your flight only leaves from New York, LaGuardia tends to be the shorter drive from Bergen County and the Hudson waterfront. See our New Jersey car service page for times from each town.

Westchester

LaGuardia is the closest of the three for most of Westchester. From White Plains it takes 40 to 70 minutes, against 60 to 75 to JFK and 60 to 80 to Newark. From Harrison it is 45 to 60 minutes to LaGuardia and 70 to 90 to Newark. Some flights also leave from Westchester County Airport (HPN), about 10 to 15 minutes from downtown Harrison. We plan these rides town by town, including White Plains, Harrison and Rye.

Connecticut

From Connecticut, LaGuardia is the shortest drive from every town we serve. From Greenwich it takes about 32 minutes, against 44 to JFK and 61 to Newark, and it is the cheapest of the three fares. Even from Hartford, LaGuardia beats the other two, though many inland travelers fly from Bradley instead. Our Connecticut car service page has fares and times for each town.

The Hamptons

JFK and LaGuardia both sit on the Long Island side of the city, so either one works for the East End. Newark adds a trip across Manhattan or Staten Island before the Long Island Expressway even starts. Pick the airport with the better flight, and book your car service to the Hamptons early for summer weekends.

Don’t see your town? Our service area page lists everywhere we drive.

Getting into the City: Train, Taxi or Car Service

Every airport has a cheap way into the city and a fast one. Public transit costs the least and takes the longest, and it feels longer with bags. A taxi or an app ride is faster, but the price moves with traffic and demand. A booked car service costs more and locks the price before you fly.

Option	JFK	LaGuardia	Newark
Train or bus	AirTrain, then subway or LIRR. About an hour to Midtown	Free Q70 bus, then the subway. Plan on about an hour	AirTrain, then NJ Transit. About 30 minutes on the train
Yellow taxi	$70 flat fare to Manhattan, plus surcharges, tolls and tip	Metered, plus tolls and tip	Taxi stand fare, plus tolls and tip
Gotham Ride sedan	From $222	From $209	From $222

Our starting fares from Manhattan, checked against our booking system in October 2026:

Vehicle	JFK	LaGuardia	Newark
Business Class Sedan3 passengers, 2 bags	$222	$209	$222
Comfort Van6 passengers, 4 bags	$232	$233	$243
Business SUV6 passengers, 5 bags	$286	$270	$296
Cadillac Escalade6 passengers, 6 bags	$337	$332	$360

Every fare includes tolls and the chauffeur’s tip, and we confirm your exact fare when you book. For a Sprinter van or a pickup outside Manhattan, see your price. Airport arrivals include 60 minutes of complimentary wait time and real-time flight tracking, on domestic and international flights alike. Child seats are free, too. Our car service with car seats page explains how we fit them, and our guide to NYC car seat law covers taxis and app rides. See every route on our NYC car service rates page, or compare a booked car with an app ride in Uber Black vs a black car service.

Which Airport Fits Your Trip?

• Flying in from abroad: JFK has the most international flights, and Newark, United’s base, is a strong second. LaGuardia has only a handful of flights outside the U.S. Coming from Britain? Read which New York airport to fly into from the UK.
• A short domestic trip into Manhattan: LaGuardia, for the shortest drive and the newest terminals.
• Traveling with kids: pick the airport closest to where you are staying. A shorter ride matters more to tired children than a nicer terminal.
• A group of up to 14: any of the three works. One Sprinter van airport transfer carries everyone and the bags in one trip.
• Flying private: most private jets use Teterboro in New Jersey or Westchester County Airport. Read what to know before flying into Teterboro.
• Flying from Philadelphia: we also drive to Philadelphia Airport from Manhattan and New Jersey.

Our office runs pickups at all three airports every day, so we know the terminals, the pickup lots and the traffic that causes delays. Every Gotham Ride chauffeur holds a TLC license, and every car carries commercial insurance.

Frequently Asked Questions